Tag: titans football

Texans go for the jugular Twitter at Titans after beating ‘Fake Oilers’ in Week 18

The Texans made sure to clap back at the Tennessee Titans for their bad taste in wearing a Houston Oilers uniform.

The Tennessee Titans have worn their Houston Oilers jerseys twice against the Houston Texans.

They’ve yet to beat the new kids on the block that call H-Town home in those threads following a 23-14 loss on Sunday in the regular-season finale.

Best of all? The Texans’ social media remains undefeated when coming up with content to clapback at the Titans.

Earlier in the week, Tennessee changed its profile photo on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram to the iconic oil derrick from the Oilers days.

As soon as the clock hit zero over at Nissan Stadium, Houston wasted little time firing back while making the team with the No. 1 overall hold another L to close out a bad year.

Houston kept the rig in place in titled it “Expectation.” On the opposing side, the team rearranged the oil derrick to form an L and titled it “Reality.”

That was only the beginning of the trolling.  Houston also hopped on the face that Tennessee still tries to act like it has ties with the Oilers by posting a photo of cooking oil with the caption, “found the oiL in tennessee.”

When you get up close to the bottle, the label reads:

Texans Win
Texans at oiLers
January 5, 2025
HOU-23 (W)TEN-14(L)

For the second time since moving to Tennessee in 1996, the Titans have suffered a 14-loss season. Over the three decades they stood in Houston, the Oilers only lost 14 games.

Who said moving was always the best thing for one’s career?

The Texans continue their run toward a Super Bowl with a matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the wild-card round.

Instant analysis: Texans secure 10-win season with backups in victory over Titans

The Houston Texans now have secured another 10-win season under DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud with a victory in Week 18.

Despite the injuries.

Despite the inconsistencies on offense.

Despite knowing nothing would change on Sunday, the Houston Texans didn’t care.

Ten wins is better than nine.

Behind Davis Mills and a 100-plus yard rushing performance from Dameon Pierce, the Texans secured a 23-14 win over the Tennessee Titans en route to a second 10-win season under DeMeco Ryans.

In the process, the Titans secured the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft after the New England Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills in the regular season finale.

Now Houston waits to see if it’s hosting either the Los Angeles Chargers, who played at the Raiders later Sunday, or Pittsburgh in an AFC wild-card game. With a Chargers’ win, Los Angeles would head to NRG Stadium.

While the Texans planned on playing starters, Ryans never said how long they’d stay in the lineup. C.J. Stroud completed all six of his passes for 50 yards and a touchdown on the Texans’ opening drive before going to the bench.

Nico Collins and Joe Mixon also made history by securing 1,000-yard seasons in receiving and rushing, respectivley. Mixon, who finished with 23 yards, became the first Texans running back to hit the 1,000-yard marker since Carlos Hyde in 2019.

Collins, who finished with 38 receiving yards, joined Brandin Cooks, DeAndre Hopkins and Hall of Fame receiver Andre Johnson as the only players to total back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in Houston history.

Pierce finished with a career-high 176 rushing yards, including a 97-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The run marks the second-longest play from scrimmage in franchise history.

While Will Levis might not be the long-term answer in Nashville, he saw more reps than veteran Mason Rudolph. He had a better day than advertised, finishing with 175 yards, including a 49-yard TD pass to Tay Martin with 2:41 left.

Tennesseee tried to recover the onside kick, but Robert Woods was in the right place to shore up the victory.

Levis might be remembered for a play that helped Houston secure a two-possession win. Defensive end Derek Barnett got the ball on a botched handoff by Levis to Josh Oliver early in the fourth quarter and ran it back 36 yards for a TD.

The “thicc-sx” was Barnett’s second such return for a TD this season and the third of his career.

Houston ends its two-game losing streak after securing the division title in Week 15’s win over the Miami Dolphins.

Stroud and Ryans also made history as the first QB-head coach duo to win the division back-to-back years in their first two seasons.

They now head home to watch what happens out in Las Vegas.

WATCH: Joe Mixon joins Texans 1,000-yard club vs. Titans

The streak is over! Joe Mixon has ended the 1,000-yard drought in Houston!

Welcome to the history books, Joe Mixon.

With a 3-yard run on the opening drive at Nissan Stadium against the Tennessee Titans, Mixon became the fifth running back in Houston Texans history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season.

The 29-year-old also becomes the first running back to hit the 1K marker since Carlos Hyde in 2019.

Since arriving in Houston, Mixon has been as advertised. After singing a three-year, $27 million extension following a trade from the Cincinnati Bengals, Mixon promised to be a workhorse and stabilizer for Houston’s ground game.

Consider the mission accomplished as the postseason begins. In 12 games, he’s averaged 92.8 yards per contest. Mixon’s also scored 11 touchdowns off 240 carries while averaging 4.1 yards per attempt.

The 2024 season will mark the fifth time Mixon’s hit the 1,000-yard marker in his career. He joins Derrick Henry as one of two active running backs with at least five 1,000-yard seasons.

With a win, the Texans will secure a second 10-win season under DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud.

The Texans will host either the Los Angeles Chargers or Pittsburgh Steelers next week in the wild-card round.

Texans vs. Titans: Houston adds 3 players before Week 18 finale

D’Angelo Ross is sticking around the Houston Texans for the remainder of the 2024 season.

The Houston Texans are shoring up their depth chart heading into the Week 18 regular-season finale.

The Texans are signing cornerback D’Angelo Ross to the active roster from the practice squad, putting him under contract through the 2025 season.  He’ll replace cornerback Jeff Okudah, who was ruled out for this game with a concussion suffered during drills in practice.

Ross, best known as a special teams ace with the New England Patriots, has played in nine games for the Texans. He has recorded a career-high 13 tackles.

He’s appeared in 51 percent of the special teams snaps and 135 defensive snaps for 24 percent of the playing time.

Last season, Ross played eight defensive snaps and 13 games overall for the AFC South champions en route to a 10-win season.

The Texans are also elevating former Los Angeles Rams safety Russ Yeast and rookie defensive end Solomon Byrd for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans from the practice squad.

In a corresponding move, rookie linebacker Jamal Hill was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, ending his season.

Kickoff from Nissan Stadium is scheduled for noon CT.

Houston Texans schedule: Are the Texans playing today? 

Are the Texans playing today? Here’s a look at the schedule entering Week 18.

The Houston Texans will take the field Sunday afternoon with a chance to close out the regular season at 10-7 with a win over the Tennessee Titans.

Houston currently sits at 4-1 in the AFC South entering Week 18. With a win, the Texans would post back-to-back double-digit winning campaigns for the first time since 2019.

While the Texans have already clinched the division, they’re still waiting for the outcome of Week 18’s matchup to figure out who they’ll host in the wild-card round next weekend. The Pittsburgh Steelers remain the favorites, but Houston could also host the Los Angeles Chargers based on Sunday’s outcome.

With the Chargers’ loss, the Steelers would clinch the No. 5 seed following their 19-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday evening.

Should all three division winners secure a victory in the wild-card round, Houston would hit the road to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round.

Houston Texans 2024 schedule

  • Week 1: at Indianapolis (W, 29-27)
  • Week 2: vs. Chicago (W, 19-13)
  • Week 3: at Minnesota (L, 34-7)
  • Week 4: vs. Jacksonville (W, 24-20)
  • Week 5: vs. Buffalo (W, 23-20)
  • Week 6: at New England (W, 41-21)
  • Week 7: at Green Bay (L, 24-22)
  • Week 8: vs. Indianapolis (W, 23-20)
  • Week 9: at New York Jets (L, 21-13)
  • Week 10: vs. Detroit (L, 26-23)
  • Week 11: at Dallas (W, 34-10)
  • Week 12: vs. Tennessee (L, 32-27)
  • Week 13: at Jacksonville (W, 23-20)
  • Week 14: Bye
  • Week 15: vs. Miami (W, 20-12)
  • Week 16: at Kansas City (L, 27-19)
  • Week 17: vs. Baltimore (W,31-2)
  • Week 18: at Tennessee
  • Record: 9-7

Is C.J. Stroud playing Sunday? Latest updates for Texans QB

C.J. Stroud will see action on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

The Houston Texans are at a crossroads entering Week 18 of the regular season.

Starters are expected to play against the Tennessee Titans, but the question is for how long? Texans coach DeMeco Ryans initially didn’t plan on playing starters, but after an abysmal outing against the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day, plans changed.

“For us right now, we’ve got to go play better,” Ryans said. “Our last outing on the field was not good enough. It was not representative of who we are. Defensively, offensively, just not a good representation of our team entirely. So we’ve got to go out and play better football.”

Among those who could miss the second half is quarterback C.J. Stroud. Last week, following what he described as the “worst performance of his NFL career,” Stroud revealed that he was playing “just a little banged up.”

Even in a year where Stroud has struggled, he provides the best chance for Houston to secure a 10-win season and a victory in the wild-card round next week at NRG Stadium.

Stroud also wants to end the season on a high note after failing to find the end zone against Baltimore on Christmas Day.

“I am excited and it is a blessing to be able to go out and play in this league whenever it is,” Stroud said Wednesday. “We are excited to play Tennessee and even more excited to play in the playoffs. I do think that this could help us.”

C.J. Stroud update

Stroud will play on Sunday at Nissan Stadium. Should the Texans pull out to a significant lead, Ryans could elect to rest him for next week’s wild-card round.

The same goes for Houston’s struggles and trails entering the fourth quarter. While the second-year passer is dinged up, he didn’t appear on the team’s injury report.

“It’s the end of the season,” Stroud said. “Everybody is banged up.”

C.J. Stroud stats

In 16 starts, Stroud has thrown for 3,677 yards and 19 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. He’s completed 62.7% of his throws while posting a passer rating of 86.0.

Texans QB depth chart

Davis Mills would start or replace Stroud should the Texans bench their starters on Sunday. He filled in for the final drive last week against the Ravens and completed one pass for five yards.

Mills also replaced Stroud in Week 3’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, going 7-of-12 for 79 yards.

Report: Titans releasing former Georgia star center Ben Jones

The Tennessee Titans appear to be moving on from Ben Jones

Former Georgia Bulldog star center Ben Jones is looking for a new NFL home. The Tennessee Titans are releasing Jones ahead of NFL free agency. Jones has been a critical element of Tennessee’s powerful rushing attack.

Jones started 12 games for the Titans last season and has 151 starts over his 11 season NFL career. Tennessee had the No. 13 rushing offense in the NFL during the 2022 season.

Jones and the Tennessee offensive line help set the point of attack for star running back Derrick Henry for many great seasons.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Ben Jones should be expected to start wherever he elects to go. Jones made the first Pro Bowl of his lengthy NFL career in 2022.

Jones signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Titans last offseason. The former Georgia Bulldogs has earned over $28 million in his NFL career, per Spotrac.

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Isaiah Wilson talks viral NFL Draft clip of his mother and fiancee

Former Georgia football OT Isaiah Wilson discussed the viral video involving his mom and fiancee after being picked by the Tennessee Titans.

The virtual 2020 NFL Draft was one to remember, not because of shocking picks or huge trades, but really just because of all the funny clips we got of people having to stay at home during this year’s draft.

Of course one of those clips involved former Georgia OT Isaiah Wilson. As Wilson was announced as the No. 29 pick to the Tennessee Titans, his fiancee was sitting on his lap embracing him in the emotional moment. However, she wasn’t aware that she was taking up most of the screen of ESPN’s live coverage from Wilson’s home, so Wilson’s mom made some changes showing some serious power…

Wilson recently reacted to the video in an interview with John Glennon of  The Athletic :

“At the end of the day, the draft was the biggest spectacle of the quarantine,” Wilson said. “Everyone was tuned in, waiting to get something to harp on to put on social media because people are bored. Everyone is in the house; nobody can do anything. People were bored and jumped at some funny content. I mean, my family is doing great. We’re all smiles over here.”

Wilson’s mom Sharese also talked about the video.

“I did get quite a few calls from friends on that,” Sharese Wilson said with a laugh. “It’s funny because that little clip, we couldn’t see it at all (while it was happening) because we were kind of following along with ESPN. But in our minds, we were just like, ‘The cameras are rolling, so let’s get everybody out of the way’ so that Isaiah — we knew they would pan to Isaiah — would talk about his reaction or they’re going to catch him crying or whatever it is. What ended up happening is they were rolling when we were trying to clear out.”

REPORT: Titans officially place franchise tag on Derrick Henry

The Tennessee Titans came up short in their attempt at getting to the Super Bowl during the 2019-20 season, but that doesn’t mean another run can’t be made. With the franchise locking up starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill to four-year, $118 million …

The Tennessee Titans came up short in their attempt at getting to the Super Bowl during the 2019-20 season, but that doesn’t mean another run can’t be made.

With the franchise locking up starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill to four-year, $118 million extension on Sunday, it opened the door for star running back Derrick Henry to get the franchise tag.

The belief was that news could be coming any day now, and on Monday morning, it will be official. According to Adam Schefter with ESPN, the Titans placed the tag on Henry:

The idea that Tennessee would want its backfield back for the 2020-21 season isn’t a surprise in the slightest, and that especially holds true for Henry.

The former Heisman Trophy winner from Alabama has been outstanding over the last two seasons. In 31 regular season games, Henry has rushed for 2,599 yards and 28 touchdowns on 518 attempts (5.0 yards per carry).

The 6-foot-3, 247-pound bruising back also added 33 receptions, 305 yards and two touchdowns receiving during that period of time.

And during Tennessee’s playoff push last season, he was even more effective, as the team leaned on his ability to handle a heavy workload while taking as much off Tannehill’s plate as possible.

Now with Henry locked up for at least one more season, we should see another year of 300-plus carries for the former Crimson Tide star!

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Tennessee Titans at Oakland Raiders odds, lines, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Titans at Raiders Week 14 matchup, with NFL betting odds, lines, picks and best bets.

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The Tennessee Titans (7-5) try to keep up in the AFC playoff race in Week 14 as they hit the road to take on the Oakland Raiders (6-6). The two teams will play at 4:25 p.m. ET at RingCentral Coliseum.

Titans at Raiders: Week 14 preview, betting trends and notes

Get some action on the games by betting at BetMGM. New customer offer: RISK-FREE First Bet (up to $500!) paid in free bets.

  • Tennessee has won three straight games and five of six.
  • Oakland has lost two in a row.
  • Titans QB Ryan Tannehill is 5-1 since taking over as the starter. He has completed 72.7% of his passes for 1,602 yards, 12 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He also has three rushing touchdowns.
  • Oakland has allowed 74 points in its back-to-back losses while scoring only 12.
  • Titans RB Derrick Henry has 496 rushing yards in his last three games.

Titans at Raiders: Key injuries

Titans WR Adam Humphries (ankle) might not play. Henry (hamstring) has missed practice time but returned on a limited basis Thursday.

Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow (ribs) is not expected to play. Starting OL Trent Brown (pectoral) and OL Gabe Jackson (knee) might miss the game. RB Josh Jacobs (shoulder) missed the first two days of practice.

Titans at Raiders: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 2 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Titans 31, Raiders 17

Moneyline (?)

The Raiders (+120) are in a freefall while the Titans (-143) are playing their best ball of the season and making a run at the playoffs. Take the TITANS (-143) even though a $10 bet on the road team would net a $6.99 profit.

Against the Spread (?)

The Titans are favored at -2.5 (-121). The Raiders have failed to cover the spread in their last three games, while the Titans have covered three games in a row. Potentially without Jacobs, Oakland will struggle offensively. Give the points and take the TITANS -2.5 (-121).

Over/Under (?)

The total is set at 46.5 points. Titans games have hit the over six straight times. But Oakland has hit the under in three straight games. This will be close but Tennessee’s offense combined with the points the Raiders are giving up will get the total there. Take the OVER 46.5 (-110).

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